Bolthole Index

Lincoln County, Idaho

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Shoshone, Idaho

Building inside Shoshone, Idaho city limits requires a building permit from the City of Shoshone, applied for through the city clerk12. The city runs its own Title 16 zoning code3. Septic permits for Lincoln County come from South Central Public Health District, and we could not confirm how that works for lots on city sewer4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside city limits; $20 application fee plus construction-value fees15
Zoning
City of Shoshone Title 16 zoning code3
Minimum home size
900 square feet in residential zones6
Minimum lot
6,000 square feet with 50 feet of street frontage7
Lot coverage
30 percent maximum8
Septic
South Central Public Health District for Lincoln County4
Building code
Idaho Residential Code, 2020 edition9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Shoshone City Hall (building permits and planning & zoning)

Building permit applications and zoning questions inside Shoshone city limits

208-886-2030

Septic permits

South Central Public Health District Environmental Health

Septic permits and land-development questions for Lincoln County

(208) 324-8838

septic@phd5.id.gov

951 East Avenue H Jerome, ID 83338

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Shoshone means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Shoshone, Idaho have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. The City of Shoshone administers its own Title 16 zoning code inside city limits, including a zoning map, district regulations and a floodplain overlay district3. Residential lots must be at least 6,000 square feet with 50 feet of street frontage, and a home must be at least 900 square feet76. Structures may cover no more than 30 percent of a lot8. The city's agricultural buildings are exempt from the building codes but still need zoning placement approval and permits10.

We could not confirm district-by-district setbacks, height limits, or the rules for RVs, tiny homes and accessory dwellings. Ask Shoshone City Hall at11 before you buy. Those figures are the city's residential standards and individual districts may differ.

Do you need a building permit in Shoshone, Idaho, and who issues it?

Yes. No one may erect or construct a building, or alter one in a way that changes its dimensions, inside Shoshone without first obtaining a building permit1. The City of Shoshone issues it: applications go to the city clerk on city forms, with a $20 application fee2. The city's own page says building permits are required even for carports, sheds and decks, and offers residential and commercial application forms11.

Shoshone adopts the Idaho Residential Code, 2020 edition, as the state adopted it9. Reach City Hall at 208-886-203011.

What does a building permit cost in Shoshone, Idaho?

The application fee is $20, charged in addition to fees based on construction value2. The city code's fee table lists houses at $63 per square foot, with masonry adding $12 and basements adding $32 per square foot5. That table cites the 1997 Uniform Building Code and the code points to city hall schedules for other fees, so ask City Hall for the current total before budgeting5.

How do septic permits work in Shoshone, Idaho?

Septic permits in Lincoln County come from South Central Public Health District, which Idaho's seven health districts administer for the state's rules412. For new homes on septic, the county states a wastewater system permit must be in place before the building permit is issued13. Idaho's rules also allow the state to deny a septic permit where public sewer is reasonably accessible14.

We could not confirm whether a given Shoshone lot must connect to city sewer or may use septic. Ask City Hall first11, then the health district15. Wells need a drilling permit from the Idaho Department of Water Resources16.

Building a home in Shoshone, Idaho: the steps, in order

  1. Call City Hall to confirm zoning, lot size and sewer availability for your parcel11.
  2. If the lot needs septic, get the wastewater permit from South Central Public Health District first13.
  3. Apply for the building permit through the city clerk with plans, including three sets for new construction and a plot plan drawn to scale2.
  4. Expect separate state electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits17.
  5. Owner-builders are exempt from state contractor registration only if they do the work on their own land and do not intend to sell within 12 months18.

What stays with Lincoln County, and what to check before you buy near Shoshone?

The city's rules end at city limits. Land outside them falls under Lincoln County, which has its own zoning19. Septic and wells stay with the health district and the state either way4. Lincoln County's effective property tax rate is about 0.5%20, and the typical home value is about $321,07821.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Shoshone's district-level setbacks, height limits, or RV and tiny-home rules; call City Hall at 208-886-2030 before you buy11.
  • The city's published fee table cites the 1997 Uniform Building Code, so current fees may differ5.
  • We could not confirm whether lots inside city limits must use city sewer instead of septic; ask City Hall and the health district15.

Sources

  1. Shoshone City Code Chapter 15.04 Building Codes (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  2. Shoshone City Code Chapter 15.04 Building Codes (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  3. Shoshone City Code Title 16 Zoning (table of contents) (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  4. phd5.idaho.gov, quoted and re-checked
  5. Shoshone City Code Chapter 15.04 Building Codes (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  6. Shoshone City Code 15.04.050 Building Permit; Application (residential standards and fees) (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  7. Shoshone City Code 15.04.050 Building Permit; Application (residential standards and fees) (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  8. Shoshone City Code 15.04.050 Building Permit; Application (residential standards and fees) (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  9. Shoshone City Code Chapter 15.04 Building Codes (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  10. Shoshone City Code Chapter 15.04 Building Codes (Shoshone), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Shoshone City Hall (building permits and planning & zoning) (shoshonecityid.gov)
  12. Septic and Septage (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. How to obtain a building permit, quoted and re-checked
  14. IDAPA 58.01.03 Individual/Subsurface Sewage Disposal Rules (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. South Central Public Health District Environmental Health (phd5.idaho.gov)
  16. Wells Overview (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (Idaho statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Lincoln County Zoning Map, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Shoshone

Shoshone’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erecting, constructing, or altering a building inside Shoshone city limits where the alteration affects the dimensions of the existing building

    • Permit must be obtained before construction begins; construction may proceed after the permit is issued.
    • Agricultural buildings are exempt from the adopted building codes but remain subject to placement requirements and permits under zoning regulations.

    building permit application fee: 20 USD (plus building permit fees under section 15.04.050(d) and section 303 of the building code, and a plan inspection fee if required)

    “no person, firm, partnership, or corporation shall, within the city, erect or construct, or commence the erection or construction of, or alter or commence the alteration, which alteration will affect the dimensions of the existing building, of any type of building without first obtaining a building permit in accordance with the provisions and procedures set forth in this chapter.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Shoshone city limits, under Shoshone City Code Chapter 15.04 Building Codes

    • The city adopts the Idaho-amended editions (as adopted by the state of Idaho or the Idaho Building Code Board), with the state amendments named in each adoption clause.
    • Agricultural buildings are exempt from the adopted codes (see agricultural_exemption claim).
    “b. idaho residential code: the idaho residential code, 2020 edition, as adopted by the state of idaho or the idaho building code board, consisting of the 2018 international residential code prepared by the international code council, inc. and amended by the idaho building code board through the negotiated rulemaking process, is adopted.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Shoshone city limits, where the City of Shoshone administers its own Title 16 Zoning code

    • Title 16 Zoning is listed in the city code index with a Zoning District Regulations chapter (16.20); the district text of chapter 16.20 was not opened in this research, so district dimensions are not stated here.
    • Zoning map and district regulations (16.12, 16.16, 16.20) govern use and dimensions; floodplain overlay (16.24) and performance standards (16.36) also apply.
    “chapter 16.20 zoning district regulations chapter 16.24 floodplain overlay district (fp)”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Homes and dwellings in Shoshone city residential zones, under the residential standards in section 15.04.050

    • Stated as a building-permit residential standard that pertains to all residential zones; the Title 16 district tables were not opened to confirm whether any district sets a different size.

    minimum dwelling or home size: >= 900 square feet

    “there is a minimum dwelling or home size of nine hundred (900) square feet. these requirements pertain to all residential zones.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Any lot in Shoshone city residential zones on which a home is constructed or moved on, including mobile and manufactured homes, under section 15.04.050

    • Stated as a residential standard that pertains to all residential zones; the R-1 and agricultural district lot-area figures in chapter 16.20 were not opened, so district-specific figures may differ.
    • Applies to any lot on which a home is constructed or moved on.

    minimum lot area: >= 6000 square feet (for any lot on which a home is constructed or is moved on) · minimum street frontage: >= 50 feet

    “fifty foot (50') street frontage and a minimum area of six thousand (6,000) square feet for any lot on which a home is constructed or is moved on”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Structures on residential lots inside Shoshone city, under section 15.04.050

    • Stated as a residential standard that pertains to all residential zones; district-specific coverage in chapter 16.20 was not opened.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent (for any structure or combination of structures placed on any lot)

    “there may only be a maximum of thirty percent (30%) lot coverage for any structure or combination of structures placed on any lot.”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Agricultural buildings inside Shoshone city limits, exempt from the adopted building codes

    • Exemption applies only to agricultural buildings as defined by the International Building Code.
    • Agricultural buildings remain subject to placement requirements and permits established by zoning regulations.
    “exemptions: agricultural buildings, as defined by the international building code, are exempt from the building codes adopted herein but shall remain subject to placement requirements and permits established by zoning regulations.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit fees inside Shoshone city limits

    • Fee table cites the 1997 Uniform Building Code; the code says all other fees and computations are found in the city hall schedules, so the published rates are not necessarily the complete current fee schedule.
    • Permit fee of $20.00 is charged in addition to construction-value fees.

    houses construction rate: 63 USD per square foot (masonry adds $12.00 per square foot; basements add $32.00 per square foot)

    “1. houses $63.00 per square foot (masonry: $12.00 more) (basements: $32.00 more)”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit applications inside Shoshone city limits

    • Plans and specifications are required with each application, three sets for new construction, including a plot plan drawn to scale.
    • An architect or licensed engineer must stamp plans when the structure is more than two stories.
    “application for a building permit shall be made to the city clerk, or duly appointed deputies, on forms prescribed and furnished by the city, and shall be accompanied by a permit fee of twenty dollars ($20.00).”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Shoshone or Lincoln County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Shoshone city limits
  • Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Shoshone city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for buildings inside Shoshone city limits
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Shoshone city limits
  • Setbacks — Yard setbacks for residential lots inside Shoshone city limits (main single-family district and any agricultural/rural-residential district)
16 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Shoshone publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lincoln County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Lincoln County: county rules, score and offices